Bodog Brand to Bye Bye USA

Image accompanying the topic on Calvin Ayre 's website.

The Bodog Brand owned by the flamboyant Calvin will soon say sayonara to the US market. Another big dog bites the dust. The Morris Mohawk Gaming Group (MMGG) license agreement is due to expire at the end of 2011. It is then that US players will no longer be welcome at Bodog online casinos. Each online casino to drop American players becomes big gambling news as the choices become fewer and fewer for players.

The Bodog Brand has released a statement regarding the decision to allow their brand license with Morris Mohawk Gaming expire at the end of 2011.

“Following recent news that Bodog UK has been granted a gambling license by the UK Gambling Commission, we are pleased to announce further developments to the Bodog brand going forward.

As highlighted last week, Bodog UK’s CEO, Patrik Selin believes the trust and credibility that having a UK license brings to the brand will benefit customers and allow him to attract the best talent in the industry to work with him.

However, in order to ensure the brand’s expansion is not affected by negative perceptions, both in the UK and elsewhere in emerging markets such as Asia, where Bodog88 is already successful, a decision has been made to withdraw the Bodog brand from the US market at the end of 2011. As a result, the Morris Mohawk Gaming Group’s (MMGG) brand licensing agreement will be allowed to expire on 31 December, following which US residents will no longer be able to access bodog.eu or any other Bodog branded website. We understand that MMGG will launch under its own brand in 2012, licensed by the Kahnawake Gaming Commission. All Bodog.eu clients’ funds will remain safe and they will have the option to switch to a new MMGG brand should they wish but MMGG confirms it’s business as usual.

This decision presents a fresh direction for the Bodogbrand.com as it looks to create a new chapter in its history. The move will enable the Bodog brand to continue its growth and expansion and maintain its position as the world’s largest gaming brand.”

I find it slightly unusual that they preface the news with “we are pleased to announce”. The day will come when the US lifts the ban on online gambling and when it does the market will be massive. One thing I absolutely do not understand is how Bodog could be granted a UK Gambling license when they are committing a crime by accepting US players. Someone please tell me how this this is possible. How do all these sites that continue to accept US players (and advertise it) escape the wrath of the DOJ?

A Safe Means of Sharing Information with Casinos

I ran across a gambling news article about the release of PlayerVerify.com Player Verify, LLC. I haven’t seen any online casinos that work with this site. It’s a gateway for us as players to share sensitive documents with casinos. When they require identification, this site serves as a safe means to provide it.

Here’s the July 22, 2011 press release from their site:

“FRANKLIN, Tennessee -- (PRESS RELEASE) -- Player Verify, LLC, the only company with a mission to ease the verification process between players and gaming sites for added security launched www.PlayerVerify.com in April, 2010. Designed for both online players and the gaming industry, PlayerVerify.com provides the hub and secure technology needed to ease the player hard document verification process between the two groups.

“With our secure system players simply login, upload their documents and send a request to the gaming site for ID document approval,” says Mark Dalton of Player Verify, LLC. “With PlayerVerify.com, players and gaming sites alike can be confident that sensitive personal information remains private, avoiding unsecure email and facsimile that's currently required within the industry.”

Many gaming sites do internal background checks during registration but this isn't foolproof. "At some point and time a drivers license, passport or some other form of hard ID must be checked, it's the internet." With PlayerVerify.com, instead of faxing or e-mailing sensitive documents, players can upload all of their hard document verification details to one portal avoiding stored information on several gaming servers and computers. PlayerVerify.com makes this information accessible to specific gaming sites or operators, who then obtain the information through an access code provided by the player and player only.

PlayerVerify.com provides online gamers with many account features. Players can see who is viewing their personal documents in real-time and have real-time accessibility to see whether those documents are approved or denied by the gaming site. In addition, players have exclusive access to a log that lists who viewed uploaded documents and when, providing an added layer of security. Users can learn almost instantly if an unauthorized person or site is trying to gain access to their information. Players also have the ability to lock their documents upon approval from the gaming site, further preventing unauthorized access.

Online gaming sites also have many benefits to using PlayerVerify.com. Gaming site operators no longer need to sort through faxes or e-mails that contain the personal details of their players. In addition, gaming sites no longer need to worry about how to properly and safely store or dispose of this critical information. Operators can also benefit from PlayerVerify.com’s online approval/denial services and can quickly send requests for further information from players.

This would make me feel a whole lot safer when I come across this requirement. I recently won a slots tourney and have been dreading the requirement to email or fax my documents to the casino. I don’t know who could have access to my emails out here on the world wide web.”

Does a service like this ease the blow of exchanging your sensitive information?

Playtech’s Latest Slot Game: Mr. Cash Back

Slot games are released each month. Not all make the gambling news but Playtech’s Mr. Cash Back is quite unique. It has recently been released and there is already a buzz that Mr. Cash Back could become slot game of the year. There are a number of online casinos that offer Playtech software. They may not feature Mr. Cash Back yet but in time he’ll be at all of them. Here’s a review from LatestCasinoBonuses:

“About Mr. Cash Back

All of us who play online have a favorite promotion type. Some prefer no deposit bonuses, some love big VIP bonuses, but most of us find cash-back bonuses absolutely irresistible. Losing, but getting some of it back, that’s a good deal indeed. And that’s a deal you’ll find in Playtech’s new release: “Mr. Cash Back,” which has an abundance of good traits, but perhaps the best one is its Cash Back Feature.

This is not just another 5-reel video slot. “Mr. Cash Back” designers have taken an alternative, innovative approach which promises to appeal to players’ taste for quality games. They didn’t focus too much on graphics, which are straightforward but good, they focused on the game’s features. And those are simply great – apart from standard wilds, scatters, free spins and multipliers, there are also the above mentioned Cash Back Feature and Gamble feature. As for the regular symbols, many of those are related to money – there are bags full of it, cash all over the reels, as well as simply drawn poker symbols.

Therefore, there are plenty of opportunities to win in “Mr. Cash Back”. But to start benefiting from them, you’ll need to decide how much you’re ready to invest into the game. The choice is quite varied – you can select from a range of coin denominations starting from as little as $0.01 and going up to $5. Then, there are multiple coins you can place per payline – from 1 to 10, and it’s good to keep this amount on maximum, as the winnings from the Cash Back Feature greatly depend on it. Finally, you can choose the number of lines, as well, but do keep in mind that the maximum number of lines maximizes your winning odds.”

Mr. Cash Back features freezing wilds, free spins and the Mr. Cash Back Feature. The Mr. Cash Back Feature is triggered when a pay line fails to pay out 50 spins in a row.

Is Mr. Cash Back worthy of slot game of the year?

The Rivers Casino Opens In Illinois

Originally being from Chicago, I am super excited to hear that the 10th casino in Illinois has finally opened as of July 18, 2011. The building of the casino was top gambling news in my neck of the woods a few years back. I think it fell through due to various permits and licenses. I’m planning a visit to Chicago before summer is over and guess where I’m going. The Rivers Casino in Des Plaines has over 1,000 slot machines (OMG) and 48 table games!

"It really is like going to Las Vegas," said Neil Bluhm, the chairman of Midwest Gaming and casino owner.

I was surprised to hear that some folks had issues with the casino being built. I shouldn’t be surprised because the complainers always swarm around this sort of thing. Gambling is a sin ya know. Well, if that’s so, I going straight to hell in a hand basket. Anita Bedell, executive director of the Illinois Church Action on Alcohol and Addiction Problems in Springfield, reportedly said “gambling in Illinois isn't worth the increased social costs”.

"During these hard economic times the last thing people need is more opportunities for them to lose their money," she stated.

If it is not one thing it is another. Haters of land based and online casinos must have some vice. No one is perfect.

I read that according to the Illinois Gaming Board’s 2010 annual report, casinos' adjusted gross receipts were down to approximately $1.37 billion compared to $1.42 billion in 2009. Either way, that kind of revenue is bound to give something back to the community.

All I know is that I can’t wait to get my hands on all those slots. My local casino only has about 20 slot machines. Sweet home Chicago!

Online Gambling is the Solution

This is not exactly gambling news but once again, it drives home the point that online gambling is the answer to America’s deficit. Recently, President Obama stated that he cannot guarantee that social security checks will go out to the American people on August 3, 2011. Yep, that’s right around the corner but there’s a problem, a major problem. Rather than try to sum it up, I’ll give it to you straight from the horse’s mouth, cbsnews.com.

“Obama says he cannot guarantee Social Security checks will go out on August 3

President Obama on Tuesday said he cannot guarantee that retirees will receive their Social Security checks August 3 if Democrats and Republicans in Washington do not reach an agreement on reducing the deficit in the coming weeks.

"I cannot guarantee that those checks go out on August 3rd if we haven't resolved this issue. Because there may simply not be the money in the coffers to do it," Mr. Obama said in an interview with CBS Evening News anchor Scott Pelley, according to excerpts released by CBS News.

The Obama administration and many economists have warned of economic catastrophe if the United States does not raise the amount it is legally allowed to borrow by August 2.

Lawmakers from both parties want to use the threat of that deadline to work out a broader package on long-term deficit reduction, with Republicans looking to cut trillions of dollars in federal spending, while Democrats are pushing for a more "balanced approach," which would include both spending cuts and increased revenue through taxes.

Democratic and Republican lawmakers are expected to hold another round of negotiations with Mr. Obama at the White House Tuesday afternoon on long-term deficit reduction, though talks have yielded little results to date.

Mr. Obama told Pelley "this is not just a matter of Social Security checks. These are veterans checks, these are folks on disability and their checks. There are about 70 million checks that go out."

Still, McConnell said Republicans would "do the responsible thing" to avoid default, suggesting that a deal on the debt ceiling could be reached without a "real" deficit reduction package.

"The president has presented us with three choices: smoke and mirrors, tax hikes, or default. Republicans choose none of the above. I had hoped to do good, but I refuse to do harm. So Republicans will choose a path that actually reflects the will of the people, which is to do the responsible thing and ensure that the government doesn't default on its obligations," he said.

Mr. Obama has repeatedly said he wants a deal that would allow the U.S. to avoid confronting the issue again until after the 2012 elections and vowed on Monday that he would "not sign a 30-day or a 60-day or a 90-day extension."

"This the United States of America and, you know, we don't manage our affairs in three-month increments. You know, we don't risk U.S. default on our obligations because we can't put politics aside," Mr. Obama told reporters at the White House yesterday.”

Now is it me or would the billion dollar online casino industry save the day? Let’s get that option on the table and bring back the US Dollar! This is ridiculous. The answer is simple.

Are you among the folks that stand to lose their monthly income? Would you be in support of legalization of online gambling in the US?

A Bright Future for Sun Bingo

Sun Bingo has been in gambling news recently with the introduction of their interesting new mascot Bubbles. The ad features the magical bingo mascot interrupting a living room exercise session with temptations of the Sun Bingo Welcome Bonus. It looks like they’ve now recently acquired all of NOTW Bingo’s customers. Here’s the scoop.

“Allegations  that the News of the World had been illicitly hacking into the voice mail messages of high profile people to gain information that were to be later used for printed stories have been one of the most discussed topics in the UK this last week. The result of these allegations is that as of Sunday 10th July, the News of the World has printed its last copy.

One question that we asked a few days ago, was regarding player accounts on NOTW Bingo. Would the online bingo room be closing along with the newspaper, and more importantly would player’s money be safe. It appears our question has been answered.

When visiting the NOTW Bingo website, you will now be presented with a statement from Head of NOTW Bingo – Barry Sage that informs players that NOWT Bingo has been permanently moved to Sunbingo.co.uk. The statement attempts to assure players that their accounts are secure and that should they wish to log into Sunbingo.co.uk, they can withdraw player funds, if they so choose.

Sunbingo.co.uk is the same software as the former NOWT bingo and is owned by News Group Newspapers ltd, a company that ran the former News of the world newspaper as well as The Sun, The Times, and Sunday Times.”

Source bestbingospots.com

Were you a customer of NOTW Bingo? I personally have not played bingo there but I am a fan of Sun Bingo. It features the same great software and games so no need to worry. It’s the best of both the bingo and online casino worlds.

Frankenstein NetEnt Style

Igor: Dr. Frankenstein...

Dr. Frederick Frankenstein: "Fronkensteen."

Igor: You're putting me on.

Dr. Frederick Frankenstein: No, it's pronounced "Fronkensteen."

Igor: Do you also say "Froaderick"?

Dr. Frederick Frankenstein: No... "Frederick."

Igor: Well, why isn't it "Froaderick Fronkensteen"?

Dr. Frederick Frankenstein: It isn't; it's "Frederick Fronkensteen."

Igor: I see.

Dr. Frederick Frankenstein: You must be Igor.

[He pronounces it ee-gor]

Igor: No, it's pronounced "eye-gor."

Dr. Frederick Frankenstein: But they told me it was "ee-gor."

Igor: Well, they were wrong then, weren't they?

Whether you say Fronkensteen or Frankenstein one thing is for sure, it has been recreated Net Entertainment style! I read about this gambling news during my forum travels. I found it at Betsafe Casino. The best bit of any slot game for me, is the bonus round. Frankenstein features a free spin bonus called Burning Mill Free Spins. Here’s how it works:

3 or more Scatter symbols activate 10 Free Spins. The Scatter symbol is the windmill. Whatever your wager, it will apply to your free spins. A multiplier is available ranging from 1x – 5x.

Free Spins also use a different set of reels:

The Multiplier symbol appears on reel 5. Each time it appears, your win multiplier is increased by one up to the max of 5x before it’s removed. The Fire Wild symbol replaces the Lightning Wild symbol on reels 2, 3 and 4, and serves as a substitution for all symbols except the Scatters and Multipliers of course. The Fire Wild symbol ignites two or more connecting symbols, transforming them into Wilds. More Wilds equals a better chance of winning. There’s also an opportunity to trigger additional free spins. 2 Scatter symbols = 5 extra Free Spins and 3 Scatter symbols = 10 extra Free Spins. Unfortunately, the multiplier is not applicable to your extra free spins.

Frankenstein is a fun slot game. As a fan of NetEnt, I can’t complain. What’s your favorite NetEnt online casino? Have you tried Frankenstein? 

New RTG SlotsJungle Slot Game

SlotsJungle Casino is in the gambling news for a brand new slot release called SlotsJungle Casino. It is an exclusive Real Time gaming slot for their online casino. It will likely be available at other RTG powered casinos in time. I heard of the release and had to give it a try.

The graphics are very colorful and full of life with this jungle themed slot game. Featuring major and minor jackpots it’s about as classic as RTG gets. The main attractions are the free spins and the Win-Win feature.

What is the Win-Win feature? Well, as RTG fans know, they do not alter their style very often. Most slots they release fit a specific mold and nothing changes but the theme. The Win-Win feature is a fairly new addition to the RTG repertoire.

Here’s how it works. In order for this feature to be applicable, all pay lines must be activated. Most players can’t resist wagering all lines, so the Win-Win feature is not a problem for us! This feature is automatically triggered after a round of free spins if the win is 10 times the bet or less. The wins are multiplied based on the amount of the win. It’s a win-win situation. One of the first slot games to have the Win-Win feature was Hockey Hero.

SlotsJungle is a 5 reel/25 pay line slot game. One thing that I do like is that the free spins were awarded pretty consistently. I didn’t feel like I was waiting forever with a dwindling bankroll. Three SlotsJungle logos trigger the free spins. During, if the logo lands on the reels you gain an additional spin. I had a bit of luck and cashed out part of my winnings. SlotsJungle has hit the jackpot with this new RTG release.

Have you played SlotsJungle?

Full Tilt Poker’s Licenses Revoked by The AGCC

In gambling news, the Alderney Gambling Control Commission has revoked Full Tilt Poker’s licenses to operate. In a recent statement AGCC said, “The decision to suspend these licenses follows a special investigation prompted by the indictments unsealed by US Attorney General’s Office in the Southern District of New York on 15th April 2011, during which grounds were found to indicate that these licensees and their business associates were operating contrary to Alderney legislation."

The official statement spells out the restrictions including allowing player withdrawals. Players are unable to receive funds tied up in their Full Tilt accounts.

Here’s the official statement released by the AGCC:

“In the matters of:-

VANTAGE LIMITED

OXALIC LIMITED

FILCO LIMITED

And

ORINIC LIMITED

Alderney Gambling Control Commission (AGCC) has today issued Hearing Notices under Regulation 46 of the Alderney eGambling Regulations, 2009 to the above named companies who collectively trade as FULL TILT POKER.

In addition, AGCC has issued Suspension Notices under Regulation 47 of the Alderney eGambling Regulations, 2009 to the above named companies requiring them to immediately suspend operations.

The above named companies must, until the Suspension Notices are cancelled or the Commissioners of AGCC  have reached a determination at the conclusion of the hearing convened in accordance with Regulation 46 of the Alderney eGambling Regulations, 2009 cease to exercise their eGambling licenses, which means that these licensees must from today cease to:-

·         Register new customers;

·         Accept deposits from existing customers;

·         Allow existing customers to withdraw funds that are held in their accounts; and

·         Permit customers to participate in any form of poker game play or gambling transaction.

·          

The Alderney Gambling Control Commission will hear the matters contained in the Hearing Notices at a Regulatory Hearing which will commence at 10.00am on Tuesday 26^th July, 2011 at the Victoria Park Plaza Hotel, 239 Vauxhall Bridge Road, London SW1V 1EQ. In the event that there is a change to these details this notice will be amended. In the interim period, AGCC can be contacted by using the following email address: info@agcc.gg 

André Wilsenach (Executive Director)

Alderney Gambling Control Commission

Alderney, Channel Islands

29^th June, 2011”

Luckily I do not have funds locked away at Full Tilt. Do you have money in your accounts that you can’t access? What sort of responss have you as players received from Full Tilt?